Run
by AFallenAngel121
Summary: A St Berry Story. Set after the events of 'Goodbye' however Rachel and Finn have broken up long before that. Rachel is now starting her new life in New York with Kurt by her side. But of course fate would have that Jesse is also there and attending NYADA. What happens when their paths cross again? Is this finally their time?
1. The Adventure Begins

The New York streets were alive and full of noise: drivers were honking at each other to move, tourists were standing chatting and laughing as they took selfies and pictures of New York's grand monuments, even the hot dog vendors and newspaper stands were shouting at people to come and buy something. It was a lot noisier than Rachel had anticipated, after coming from a quiet town like Lima she had gotten used to it being quieter, it was more peaceful. But now here she was ready to begin her destiny in New York and ready to begin it on her own.

Finn and she had broken up a few weeks before graduation and it had been the best decision she has made. Rachel hadn't realised just how much she had sacrificed and changed for Finn, and in return Finn had done nothing in return for her. She knew deep down that she would always be that moon eyed girl who freaked him out in his first Glee rehearsal to him and she wasn't willing to sacrifice her dreams just to make him happy. Finn did not understand at all, he didn't understand why she had to get out of Lima and why she had to go straight away; he had tried to persuade her to defer her NYADA admission to the following year so she could help him find his purpose but Rachel had finally had enough. Her patience was growing thin and it all accumulated in an ugly break up, quite a public one too.

But she was moving on from that now, she had bigger things to attend to now. And now here she was in the city she's always dreamed of living in and getting ready to start her dream. She turned her head to the side and smiled at Kurt's reaction, he was staring at New York with a look of awe and wonder on his face. Even though he didn't get into NYADA this year Rachel had managed to persuade him to come with her, he wasn't sure what he was going to do just yet but Rachel would try her best to help him find something.

"You ready Kurt?"

Kurt turned to face his best friend, a grin spread across his face. "Ready as I'll ever be Miss Berry. Do you have that address we're going to for the apartment?"

"Of course I do" Rachel rolled her eyes and pulled out her phone to quickly type in the address onto her maps.

"It's not too far from here. Let's go"

Safe to say that as soon as Kurt and Rachel saw the apartment in Bushwick they wanted it immediately, sure they knew it was in a not-so-nice neighbourhood and they had to get a long train to get to where they wanted to go but it was full of potential. Potential to make it their own, Kurt was already scrap-booking ideas on what their living room was going to look like. And the potential to make so many new and incredible memories. Rachel was just grateful that she didn't have to spend her first year in the dorm rooms at NYADA; she had heard some horror stories about what goes on there.

Their first few weeks in New York had flew in, with the help of their friends and family they now had acceptable furniture in their apartment, minus doors for their bedrooms which meant that there were now two sheets hanging to give them privacy. With everything now sorted and feeling more at home Rachel and Kurt were able to enjoy being in New York a bit more.

"Are you ready for NYADA next week? That's going to be exciting" Kurt sipped on his drink as they took a seat in a quiet café that was near NYADA, Rachel had ultimately decided to spend the day locating various cafés, book stores and vegan stores near the school so she didn't have to panic on her first day. Kurt was more than willing and had even managed to drag Rachel to do some shopping; he was adamant that he was going to give her a New York makeover. Now they were spending some time in a boutique café that Rachel had managed to find when looking at recommendations.

"I am" Rachel smiled in reply, "I'm just excited to finally get a new start out here. This is my dream you know? So it feels a bit surreal that we're finally here but I couldn't imagine being here with anyone else than my best friend"

Kurt smirked and waved his hand playfully, "I'm glad to be here. And I'm glad you managed to talk me into coming. I don't know what I would have done if I was stuck in Lima for another year"

"I can be very persuasive when I want to be" Rachel smirked, stirring her own drink with a wooden stick while waiting for it to cool down.

As the two fell into a comfortable silence and while Rachel checked her phone, Kurt decided to people watch for a bit, it was one of his favourite hobbies back in Lima but it got tedious after a while because every person looked the same. But here in New York you never knew what you were going to see, just on the train ride here he had saw someone dressed as the statue of Liberty. Kurt soon found his eyes drawn to a familiar looking head of curly brown hair; he pursed his lips as he tried to think of where he knew that head from. It didn't take long for his question to be answered as the guy with the hair laughed and the spoke.

"You've got to be kidding me. You cannot compare Grease and The Phantom of the Opera in the same sentence. They are two completely different musicals and both in different leagues of their own"

Kurt knew that voice; it was one you couldn't forget. It was Jesse St James and as the head turned slightly his side profile confirmed that it was. His eyes flickered to Rachel who was completely oblivious as to what was going on. Kurt was torn between two places, should he tell Rachel or should he not tell her? He was all in for a St Berry reunion but if he told her now she would more than likely flip but if they just so happened to bump into one another then maybe there would be a chance of something happening?

"I'll be back in a minute Rach, I forgot some sugar" Kurt smiled sweetly before dashing from the table, he made sure to pick up some sugar so Rachel would buy his excuse but on his way back he noticed that Jesse was now standing up and getting ready to leave. With a plan in motion he made his way towards Jesse. Now it was time for his acting skills to come into play. Kurt pulled his phone out of his pocket and started typing a fake text to Blaine ensuring that he ended up bumping into Jesse.

"Ouch! Watch were you're going...Kurt?"

Kurt glanced up to see the surprised look on Jesse's face and boy was it worth it. He was looking like he just seen a ghost, and then he saw his eyes drift over Kurt's shoulders. Kurt knew he was looking for Rachel and he couldn't help but smirk. "Sorry about that St James. I was just texting Blaine and wasn't watching where I was going"

Jesse nodded and shrugged, "Its okay. Sorry for being blunt. So Kurt, how are you?" He smiled at him

"I'm good thanks. Just glad that myself and Rachel have finally gotten to New York. We thought we weren't going to make it out of Lima alive"

"Rachel's here?" Jesse perked up slightly, resting the urge to look around for the small brunette girl who he still loved dearly.

"She is" Kurt nodded, trying his best not to smirk. "She got into NYADA"

"So I heard" Jesse smiled, his heart swelling with pride at the good news. But then a sinking feeling hit his chest like a ton of bricks, if Rachel was here then that surely meant the beanstalk wouldn't be far behind him. A frown immediately replaced the look of glee on his face. He put on a show face just as quickly and smiled at Kurt. "Sorry Kurt but I've got to get going. I have a vocal lesson starting shortly"

Kurt nodded in understanding, "That's okay. Do you mind if I take your number? I can keep you updated on all things Rachel Berry related until you finally man up to speak to her"

Jesse quirked an eyebrow, "And why do you think I'll be speaking to Rachel? I haven't seen her since that fiasco at Nationals"

"Because it's you two. No matter what you always find a way to reconnect and believe me with the both of you in New York it's only a matter of time before you end up finding your way back into each other's arms" Kurt grinned as he handed his phone to Jesse so he could input his number. "Thank you"

"No problem and one more question"

"Ask away"

"Why are you being so nice to me? Last I knew, you hated my guts"

Kurt pursed his lips, "True but I think I was just jealous of what you and Rachel had. I was single and lonely at that time and I truly did not like seeing you two constantly loved up. Other than that I had no problem with you" He answered truthfully. "And truth be told, I'm rooting for you two to get back together. Everyone needs a bit of St Berry in there life"

"St Berry?" Jesse chuckled

"Your ship name" Kurt pointed out. "You know Berry and St James combined. I made names for all the couples in Glee club at one point or another. So hurry up and get St Berry 3.0 going"

Jesse couldn't help but laugh, if he kept in contact with Kurt they could easily have a nice friendship and he just knew that Kurt would certainly keep to his word and update him on Rachel's life events, even though Puckerman was already doing that but he didn't want to admit that bit of information just yet.

"Thanks Kurt, I appreciate it" Jesse smiled. "But I really have to get going so I'll see you later?"

"You definitely will" Kurt grinned and shook Jesse's hand in a mutual understanding and let the older boy go. He smirked as his plan finally got put in action, he quickly walked back to the table where Rachel was patiently waiting.

"So what did I miss?"


	2. The First Day

Rachel stood at the entrance to NYADA, just gazing up at the large historic building with mixed emotions flooding her system. She was excited to be here, she was finally on her steps to becoming a Broadway actress but yet she was nervous, it felt like the first day of High School all over again and just the thought of that day made her shiver. She wanted it to be different at NYADA, she actually wanted to make friends on her first day rather than halfway through her school experience. What made it different to McKinley was that Rachel knew that everyone who had been accepted was incredibly talented, and now this was the real test for her to truly stand out and make a name for herself.

She clutched her soy latte in hand and turned to Kurt who had willingly accepted her offer to walk with her to her first day as long as she agreed that he got to pick the first musical for their musical night along with the food they would eat, she had begrudgingly agreed because truthfully she felt far too nervous to go alone. "Thanks for coming with me Kurt"

Kurt smiled, "No problem diva, just remember our deal" He winked and smirked as she rolled her eyes.

"I won't. Just as long as you promise that we don't do a complete rerun of Judy Garland's works. I mean I love her as much as you do but there's only so many times you can watch her complete works in a week"

Kurt pursed his lips, "Fine" He fake pouted. "But I'm still picking and my choice stands, agreed?"

"Agreed" Rachel nodded and pinky promised him.

"Good, now go on before you're late for your first day"

"Okay Dad" Rachel giggled and gave him a quick hug before rushing off to the auditorium for the orientation, she was excited to get her schedule and hopefully meet some new people who were just as passionate about Broadway as she was.

After what seemed like forever, Rachel had finally managed to find the auditorium, it was already packed and there were still minutes to go until it was to begin. She hummed softly as she tried to find a seat, without thinking too much she immediately went to the middle row and the middle seat where she had a perfect view of the stage. As she had been down to retrieve her notepad and pen from her bag she felt movement to her right hand side as someone sat down beside her. She glanced up to find a girl with long blonde hair smiling down at her.

"Oh, hello" Rachel smiled and sat back up in her seat. "I'm Rachel Berry. It's nice to meet you" She stuck out her hand towards the girl who immediately took it and shook it.

"I'm Maddie Brennan. It's nice to finally meet someone, I was so nervous coming alone" Her blue eyes twinkled with happiness

"Me too, my best friend Kurt didn't get in this year so I was nervous wreck at the thought of having to meet new people, it's never been my best trait"

"Let me guess" Diana grinned, "People thought you were too overconfident and cocky because you knew you had talent and they wanted to take you down a peg or two?"

Rachel's mouth fell open in surprise, in all of two minutes the girl had already guess her high school history. "That's exactly right. I take it the same thing happened to you?"

Diana nodded with a sigh, "High School was the worst experience of my life. They said it would be the best 4 years of your life but instead all I got was ridicule and hurtful comments thrown my way all because I knew where I was going and what I wanted to do with my life"

"At least you didn't get slushied" Rachel frowned, the memory of how cold it felt on her skin and how sticky it was when it dried in was etched in her brain for eternity.

"What's that?"

"You know the big cups of frozen ice you get in 7/11?" Rachel asked, Diana nodded in understanding. "Well some Neanderthal jocks and sometimes the cheerios, they were the cheerleaders at McKinley, came up with the not so clever idea of throwing said ice drink all over their unsuspecting target which was often me"

Diana's eyes widened, "That sounds horrific! Did your principal not do anything about them?"

Rachel let out a bitter laugh, "No, our principal was not a supporter of the performing arts, he instead relished the athletes and cheerleaders because he thought they were would be the ones who would bring fame and glory to McKinley high. I come from Lima, Ohio and it is the most sports obsessed town you will ever come across, it's such a backwards town as well"

"That sounds awful" Diana gave her new friend a look of sympathy. "I'm glad I didn't go through anything that bad"

"I wouldn't wish it on anyone" Rachel smiled sadly at her, ready to go onto a new subject when she felt movement to her left, she was eager and ready to introduce herself to possibly her new friend but that feeling all but disappeared when her eyes met the stony blue ones she had been dreaming about for a long time. It felt like time slowed down and her breath got caught in the back of her throat, her stomach feeling like it had just been punched as she struggled to find her breath.

"Jesse" She finally managed to get out

"Rachel" Jesse smiled, not his usual cocky I'm-better-than-you smile, but his 'Jesse' smile the one he had reserved for her.

"W-What are you doing here?"

"At NYADA?" He questioned and she nodded, fearing the answer to his question. "I'm here to study, just as you are I presume"

Rachel felt her stomach churn at the thought, it felt like she was ready to vomit at any moment, why now of all days did she have to pick the middle seat in the middle row with no way of escaping? As she turned away from him, her eyes firmly planted on the empty stage, she could still feel his piercing gaze on her, it was making her hair stand on end and her heart race, she didn't know how to feel about it. With Finn she never had a reaction like this, but with Jesse it had always been so intense and electrifying, she knew that was what you should feel in a relationship and that had scared her.

Now here they were, both starting their freshman year at college and both with new starts ahead of them. Rachel should have known that he would be here in New York, it was an inevitably after all. Out of the corner of her eye she saw his mouth open to speak once more but that was when Dean Tibideaux decided to walk out onto the stage and Rachel had never been more grateful for an interruption.

"Good Morning freshman class. And welcome to your first year at NYADA. I'm here today to give you a brief welcome and introduction to what your life will be like at NYADA" She pointedly glanced out at the crowd, the students as always were hanging on her every word, not daring to breath let alone utter a single word. "It will not be easy. Most of you will go on to continue your studies and complete your 4 year journey to stardom. The rest of you will either flunk out because you will not be meeting the high standards that we expect of you or you will drop out because you cannot take the pressure. And I highly hope that the second scenario will not be an option because if you expect to succeed on Broadway or any other performing arts career and drop out of one of the most prestigious schools in New York then I'm sorry to say you will need to find a new dream"

Rachel's eyes widened, she knew it was going to be tough at NYADA she was with the best of the best after all, but to here the Dean's words made reality sink in for her. This was it. This was her sole chance at getting the fame and recognition she had longed for her and she was not about to mess it up now.

"I am now passing out your class schedules for this semester. You all have to choose a non-compulsory subject to take along with your mandatory subjects. And I urge you to choose wisely, selecting a subject off a whim and then realising it is not for you and wanting to change is not widely accepted here at NYADA. You want to ensure that it is the right one you want even if it is only optional" Carmen watched from the stage as the schedules were handed out, her eyes landing on the familiar face of Rachel Berry who looked as if she was trying to memorise it already, she was definitely going to keep an eye and ear out for her, she expected big things from her.

"Finally, this Friday afternoon you will all prepare a song of your choosing and perform it on front of your classmates and myself" Carmen paused for a moment to let the outbreak of gasps and whispers float around the students before it quickly died down once again. "This performance will determine your fate at NYADA. It will either make you or break you. If you fail, then you will be cut from the program and we will allow you to reapply for the next semester but heed my warning. Failure is not tolerated at NYADA, you are the best of the best and we expect great things. I certainly do not appreciate or condone disappointment. So choose your songs wisely, duets will also be fine if you so choose. Now you are all dismissed, classes will begin next week and along with your schedules there are books that you are required to procure for your non-practical classes so please ensure you pick those up immediately. Good day to you all"

As Carmen Tibideaux left the stage the hall was only silent for a moment before an outbreak of chatter grew as the students began to pack up their things and leave. Rachel however was frozen in her seat, fear in her eyes and a sick feeling in her stomach. Jesse stared at her, worry clearly evident in his eyes. "Rachel?"

She didn't answer. He sighed, he just knew that she was worrying herself too much and if he didn't stop it now then a Rachel Berry drama would ensue. He gently placed a hand on her face and turned her head gently so she was now staring at him. "Rachel Berry, you listen to me. You deserve your place at NYADA, you worked hard to get here, even through your choking incident" Rachel winced at the memory but Jesse knew he was getting through to her. "You are not going to be a failure. You are going to work your ass off like you always do and after Friday you will still be here. Even Carmen Tibideaux knows it so please don't stress yourself out"

Rachel felt her bottom lip quiver as she listened to Jesse's words, even after all the drama they had been through together he knew how to talk her down from stressing out. But she couldn't help but think what if everyone back at Lima was right? What if she was going to be a failure and ended up back at Lima? She couldn't help it as a single tear fell from her eye, Jesse was quick and wiped it away gently with his thumb.

"I'm sorry" Rachel sniffed, "It's only my first day and already I'm crying. I don't even know how I'm going to get through it here"

Jesse chuckled, "Rachel Barbra Berry, are you forgetting that you almost single handedly won Sectional's with your performance of Don't Rain On My Parade? You carried your Glee club the while way through all of your performances. If you can do that, then you can definitely do this. Besides, you have me here to help you along the way" Jesse smiled, hinting at something more between them eventually. "That is, if you let me"

Rachel blinked and stared dazedly at him, was he really offering to help her? After everything that had happened between them he was still offering to be there for her and help her. He was really a Saint if he was willing to do that for her. "You would really do that for me?"

Jesse laughed, "Of course I would Rachel. Now I don't want to bring the mood down but we definitely still need to talk and clear the air. But you know I've always been your number one supporter and I always will be. I want to help you on your way to greatness, if you allow me"

Rachel nodded, not quite sure how to feel but certainly feeling a lot happier than she had been. "Of course Jesse, I would really like that. And I know we still have to talk, there's still a lot of hurt between us but I'm hoping with time that the hurt will heal" She smiled at him and Jesse almost swooned, he had missed the sight of her smiling brightly at him, her brown eyes glistening with happiness and excitement, he had pictured her doing that again for so long that he couldn't believe it was happening now.

"Well then Ms Berry" Jesse grinned and stood up from his seat, offering his arm for her to take. "Why don't we go get some coffee and we can discuss everything? I'm already excited to hear your song options which I already know you've been thinking of since she even mentioned performing"

Rachel laughed, and not a fake laugh but a proper belly laugh, it had been a while since she had been able to laugh like that but Jesse had always brought that out from her. Maybe having him here wouldn't be so bad. "Why of course Mr St James" She grinned and tucked her hand into his arm and followed him out of the building, ready to see where their new friendship would lead them.


	3. To Love You More

Over the next couple of days Jesse and Rachel grew closer, falling back into the same pattern and habits they had formed during their brief time together during high school. It helped that they had so many of their classes together, minus one, but Rachel was grateful that they had managed to mend what she thought was a broken relationship. She wasn't ready to admit it to Jesse just yet but she knew she was falling for him all over again, those crazy butterflies she had felt after their duet in the music shop were back and when he was talking Rachel often found herself staring at his lips and dreaming of what it would feel like to kiss him again.

They had fallen into a pretty easy routine, each morning they would meet for breakfast in which they would discuss the new rumours surrounding Broadway such as the next up and coming musicals or plays. They would then walk to their first class together, the only one that they were apart in, Jesse would then either pick her up from class or if his class was running late then Rachel would pick him up at his. Of course they both had their friends they needed to see too so often at lunch time they would spend that time apart to see what was happening in their classmates lives, but neither of them were truly interested in the conversation as they were both thinking of each other and wanting to be in each other's company again. Finally they would attend their last class for the day, discussing their different ideas for scenes or performances they would have to take.

But finally it came to Friday, their d-day so speak, it was time for their big performance on front of Carmen Tibideaux and although neither would it admit it, they were nervous. Rachel stared at herself in the mirror, tugging on the hem of her skirt as she wondered if the outfit she had on was the right one.

"Rachel" Kurt whined, "For the millionth time. You look fantastic. Carmen Tibideaux is going to love you, even more than she did the last time. And with this outfit Jesse will be putty in your hands. Now, can you get a move on otherwise you'll be late?"

Rachel huffed before giving into his words, "Fine, you win but I still feel like I'm going to throw up" She muttered as she grabbed her bag from the couch.

Kurt smirked to himself, she clearly hadn't responded to his last comment about Jesse, and Rachel Berry rarely did that, even in a short conversation she would practically make a power point display to make sure she covered all the bases, and judging from the pink tinge on her cheeks she had clearly heard him. A knock on the door brought Kurt out of his thoughts, he pulled the loft door open to find a bunch of flowers in his face.

"Oh, hello there. I don't think we ordered flowers" Kurt glanced behind him at Rachel who just shrugged her shoulders at him

"Surprise" Jesse grinned, removing the flowers that had been covering his face. Rachel squealed in delight as she practically ran towards the door, Kurt just rolled his eyes and stepped aside quickly before he got ran over by the Berry Express.

"Oh Jesse" Rachel smiled as he handed her the bouquet of bright purple flowers, she recognised them immediately and felt the tears welling in her eyes. "They're beautiful"

"Only the best for the best" Jesse smiled, not his usual St James smirk but rather a true and genuine smile, the one he only reserved for Rachel

Kurt glanced between the two who now seemed to be exchanging a silent conversation, finally he couldn't take it anymore and had to interrupt. "Sorry to interrupt you're eye intercourse but could someone please explain the importance of these flowers?"

Rachel blushed and Jesse grinned, as she busied herself while quickly finding a make shift vase for the flowers, Jesse was the one to answer Kurt. "They're called Aster. With their wildflower beauty and lush texture, asters have long been considered an enchanted flower. In ancient times, it was thought that the perfume from their burning leaves could drive away evil serpents. Today, they're known as a talisman of love and a symbol of patience"

Kurt pursed his lips and nodded, "I didn't think of you to be the flower type St James"

Jesse shrugged, "Usually I'm not" He admitted. "But with Rachel, it's..."

"Different" Kurt finished with a nod of agreement from Jesse. "They're very nice. From Rachel's face I would say she loves them, they may be your good luck charm after all"

Jesse blushed at Kurt's words and shrugged, "I don't know about that..."

As he was about to continue Rachel came out with the flowers in what looked like a watering can, she admitted it had been the best she could do on short notice but would try her best to find a far more suitable vase after their performance. With a quick goodbye to Kurt the couple left the loft and headed for NYADA. They were walking in comfortable silence when Rachel felt Jesse drift a bit closer to herself, she felt her breath hitch for a moment, the heat from him radiating onto herself, she could feel his his hand gently touching hers, as if he was wanting to reach out and grab it but was unsure.

Then the feeling was gone and Jesse had moved back to where he was, Rachel was left an empty feeling in her stomach and disappointment at the missed opportunity to hold his hand. She tried to push the feeling of disappointment away and tried to focus on her performance but Jesse's presence was quite distracting.

"So" Jesse began, glancing sideways at Rachel with a slight smirk on his face. "Are you going to tell me what song you're performing today?"

"I would but then I would have to kill you" Rachel

"You wound me" Jesse placed over his heart and pretended to faint causing Rachel to giggle, a sound that he had missed dearly in his life.

"I just want to keep it a surprise. Plus, I'm pretty sure if I asked you about your song choice you wouldn't tell me either" Rachel smiled

Jesse nodded in response, she always had him figured out. The two fell into another comfortable silence as they neared the building, with every step they took Rachel grew more and more nervous. This would be the first time that she would be performing at NYADA and she wanted it to be memorable. Jesse who could sense her fear radiating from her body stopped them in their tracks, he stepped on front of her so they were now facing each other and placed his hands gently on her shoulders.

"Rachel Barbra Berry, you have no reason to be nervous. Remember you're here, you're at NYADA and you have already earned your place here. Carmen Tibideaux isn't going to change her mind after one performance"

"But Jesse, what if I choke? All I can think about the closer we get is that feeling of panic when I couldn't remember the words on stage at McKinley. What if that happens to me today?"

Jesse chuckled, "You and your dramatics" he muttered, pulling her in close for a tight embrace. "I know you, and you won't choke. You've been practising night and day for this performance, you could sing whatever song it is in your sleep. Believe in yourself Rach because I do"

Rachel looked up at Jesse and smiled, a warm and fuzzy feeling spreading through her body as their eyes connected. "Thank you Jesse" She whispered, standing up on her tip toes to place a chaste kiss on his cheek. He stood there dumbfounded for a moment, the quick kiss she had honoured him with had sent an electric shock through his body, how could it be after so long that she still had this effect on him?

She couldn't help but grin at his stunned reaction, quickly checking her watch before tugging on his arm so they could get going into class. After he finally came round and realised where he was they quickly entered the building and found their seats in the auditorium, it was still surprisingly empty when they got there but Rachel was glad for that, she had some time to compose herself and calm her nerves.

Suddenly it felt like time had stopped as they noticed Carmen Tibideaux walking through the door, a stern expression on her face as she took her seat in the front and directly in the middle, ensuring she had a close up of everyone. "Let's begin shall we. First up, Evan Hansen"

From the back row a dark haired man stood up, almost trembling at the thought of going first, both Jesse and Rachel watch him with interest as he took his place at the front, hands fisting the bottom of his shirt as he tried to settle himself. "Good afternoon Dean, I''ll be singing Giants in the Sky from Into The Woods"

Carmen nodded as she scribbled something in her notebook, after what seemed like forever she finally looked up at the young man on front of her. "You may begin"

The band kicked in and once Evan heard the music he felt his confidence returning, he stood up straighter and imagined he was on the stage in Broadway. He had barely got into the beginning of the song before Carmen held her hand up, the music ceasing at once.

"Evan, did you practice on your breath work and diction like I had asked of you?"

Evan gulped, sweat beginning to form as all eyes were on him, "Y-Yes. I did"

"You did not" Carmen simply stated, "I can tell you now that after what I just witnessed you were running into problems with your breath work and your diction was not crisp enough. I advised you to put the practice in and you can reapply for next semester. Good day to you"

Rachel's eyes widened as Carmen just dismissed the young man standing before her, she couldn't help but feel sympathy for him as he collected his belongings and left the room. She knew what it felt like to be up there, pouring your heart and soul into a performance only for it not to pan out how you had hoped. Just knowing now how brutally honest the Dean was going to be made her nerves return. Without a second thought she reached down and grabbed Jesse's hand, squeezing it once and trying to tell him silently that she was nervous.

Jesse felt the pressure on his hand and glanced to find Rachel's smaller hand encasing his own, he smiled slightly and glanced at her to find the fear and worry on her face, he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, letting her know that it was going to be okay. Finally she let out a deep breath just as the next performer was being announced.

"Next up is Rachel Berry"

Just for a moment she was stunned, she hadn't expected to go so soon but the Dean clearly wasn't going in alphabetical order like she had predicated. With another reassuring smile from Jesse, she took her stand and made her way to the front of the classroom, trying to imagine herself back in the choir room or on the stage at McKinley to try calm her nerves.

"Good afternoon, today I'll be singing To Love You More"

"You may begin"

The piano slowly came in and Rachel felt her worries ease as the music began, she always felt at home when performing, it was what she was made to do and she was not about to ruin her chance after she had worked so hard to get her. With a deep breath before the lyrics came in she glanced at Jesse who was staring at her with a curious expression on his face, he was clearly curious as to who she was singing the song too, but she didn't have time to think of that now, she needed to ace her performance.

_"Take me back into the arms I love_  
_Need me like you did before_  
_Touch me once again and remember when_  
_There was no one that you wanted more_

_Don't go, you know you'll break my heart_  
_She won't love you like I will_  
_I'm the one who'll stay_  
_When she walks away_  
_And you know I'll be standing here still"_

It was a relief that she had gotten through the first verse without being stopped by Carmen Tibideaux, as she allowed herself to look around the room she could see astonished looks on the faces of her classmates, some with envy while others looked delighted. Jesse, of course had the expression of pure joy at watching her perform, it had been so long since Nationals that he almost felt deprived at not seeing a Rachel Berry performance.

_"'ll be waiting for you_  
_Here inside my heart_  
_I'm the one who wants to love you more_  
_You will see I can give you_  
_Everything you need_

_Let me be the one to love you more_  
_See me as if you never knew_  
_Hold me so you can't let go_  
_Just believe in me_  
_I will make you see_  
_All the things that your heart needs to know_

_I'll be waiting for you_  
_Here inside my heart_  
_I'm the one who wants to love you more_  
_You will see I can give you_  
_Everything you need_  
_Let me be the one to love you more"_

Rachel put all of her emotion into the song, her eyes fluttering closed as she remembered all the feelings she had when Jesse had walked away from her, how passionate and intense their relationship was to begin with, and now here they were reunited and she was feeling singing to him and only him. Of course it was too soon for them to get into a relationship, but all the pain and hurt from their past had slowly healed over the few times they had seen each other over the years. She just hoped that this time was the right time for them and hopefully Jesse felt the same.

Jesse sucked in a deep breath as he watched Rachel perform, as he listened to her it felt everyone else in the room had disappeared and it was just them, Rachel was putting everything that had happened between them into this song and it was like she was speaking to him and only him. He could feel himself tearing up but he didn't care, everything was being laid on the line and he just hoped that neither of them done something to mess it up.

_"And some way all the love that we had can be saved_  
_Whatever it takes we'll find a way_

_Believe in me, I will make you see_  
_All the things that your heart needs to know_

_I'll be waiting_  
_Here inside my heart_  
_I'm the one who wants to love you more_  
_Cause you see I can give you_  
_Everything you need_  
_Let me be the one to love you more_  
_Oh-oh-oh..."_

Rachel poured all she could do into the last few notes of the song and before she knew it the last notes of the piano rung out into the now silent auditorium, she her chest heaving at the rush of the performing as she tried to calm the adrenaline coursing through her body. She allowed her eyes to flutter open and after a minute she saw Jesse on his feet giving her a standing ovation, she couldn't help but beam at him, grateful for the support. He slowly sat back down in his seat and Rachel was now ready for the judgement of her professor.

Carmen Tibideaux had watched the performance with great interest, although she had first had her doubts about the young woman standing on front of her, those doubts had now been cleared from the performance she had just witnessed. As soon as Rachel had begun to sing Carmen knew the girl was destined for Broadway and she would not think that very often. She gave her a slight smile and nodded her head in appreciation, "Nice Rachel. Thank you"

Rachel was taken aback, she had most certainly expected criticism or some sort of judgement from Carmen but the brief compliment she had gotten instead was more than enough to make her grin, "Thank you professor" She quickly walked back to her seat by Jesse and was unable to take the grin off her face.

"You were incredible Rach" Jesse whispered to her, returning the favour that Rachel had given him earlier and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek.

"I can't wait for your performance Jesse!" Rachel beamed, "And I think we should go out later to celebrate!"

Jesse nodded and begun to wonder just where the night would take them, a night on the town with Rachel Berry was certainly going to be interesting.


	4. Hello

Throughout the rest of the class many performers tried their best but failed when they were so close, Jesse didn't know how many exactly got cut from the program but he did know that the class was a whole lot smaller from when they began. It seemed like an eternity but finally his name was called, he felt a gentle squeeze on his hand and shot Rachel an appreciative smile as he made his way to the front of the room. Rachel had given an outstanding performance, now he just had to do the same; he wasn't willing to risk his place at NYADA after working so hard to get here so Jesse went with an old song that both he and Rachel loved, so as he turned to face the crowd he couldn't help but meet her eyes and gave her a knowing smirk as the beginning notes of Lionel Richie's Hello rung out into the quiet room.

"I've been alone with you  
Inside my mind  
And in my dreams I've kissed your lips  
A thousand times  
I sometimes see you  
Pass outside my door  
Hello!  
Is it me you're looking for?

_I can see it in your eyes_  
_I can see it in your smile_  
_You're all I've ever wanted_  
_And my arms are open wide_  
_Because you know just what to say_  
_And you know just what to do_  
_And I want to tell you so much_  
_I love you"_

Rachel watched and held her breath as he sang his song, their song even, she had no idea what he would be singing but she definitely did not expect it to be Hello. Then again it was Jesse and he always was full of surprises.

Jesse couldn't help but fight the grin as he saw Rachel starring at him, eyes not wavering at his performance and in that moment he would have loved to have known just exactly what she was thinking and if she was feeling the same things he was, he made a mental note to himself to ask her that later, but for now he concentrated on his performance.

_"I long to see the sunlight in your hair_  
_And tell you time and time again_  
_How much I care_  
_Sometimes I feel my heart will overflow_

_Hello!_  
_I've just got to let you know_  
_Because I wonder where you are_  
_And I wonder what you do_  
_Are you somewhere feeling lonely?_  
_Or is someone loving you?_  
_Tell me how to win your heart_  
_For I haven't got a clue_  
_But let me start by saying I love you"_

Jesse let his eyes shut for a brief moment, all the memories of high school flooding back at him; when he just so happened to run across Rachel in the music store and they enjoyed an impromptu duet together that made him feel so alive and excited, something a girl had not made him feel. His memories then shifted to spending a lot of time in her bedroom, singing and making out, he still felt a pang of guilt regarding the Madonna incident but they managed to work past that and he learned a valuable lesson of not forcing someone into doing something that they wouldn't want to do.

Even the bad memories sometimes made him smile, they were both incredibly dramatic people with fierce loyalty and they wouldn't back down for anything. If Rachel was willing to give him another chance he would jump at the opportunity and although she had forgiven him, he would still try his best to make it up to her.

_"Hello!_  
_Is it me you're looking for?_  
_Because I wonder where you are_  
_And I wonder what you do_  
_Are you somewhere feeling lonely?_  
_Or is someone loving you?_  
_Tell me how to win your heart_  
_For I haven't got a clue_  
_But let me start by saying I love you"_

His tone turned soft as he let the last note ring out into the silent air, for a moment no one dared to breath and then, just as he had for her, Rachel stood up from her seat and applauded him. He grinned goofily back at her as his eyes fell towards Carmen Tibideaux who had now finished writing in her notebook. She bowed her head to Jesse, "Very nice Mr St James. You may return to your seat"

Jesse breathed a sigh of relief as he quickly walked back to his seat, taking his place by Rachel who was grinning at him with her brown eyes and right then he really would have loved just to kiss her but he had to control himself. A small round of chatter had broken out amongst the students as Jesse was the last one to perform, after a moment or two Carmen Tibideaux finally stood back up and gazed around the remaining students.

"Congratulations, you all have officially made it into NYADA. The hard work starts now, do not disappoint me. You are all dismissed"

The students quickly broke up and dispersed from the room, Rachel and Jesse lingered for a moment, neither really wanting to leave before they spoke about what had happened. Once Dean Tibideaux had left the room Jesse turned round to face Rachel, only to find instead a small hand gripping at his shirt while the other grabbed the nape of his neck and pulled his lips to hers. Although taken by surprise Jesse happily obliged by returning the passionate kiss, pulling her flush against his body as much as he could, the heat from her body radiating onto his, they both deepened the kiss and it was only when the bell rang that they remembered they were still in the auditorium, the reluctantly pulled away, both breathing heavy and staring at each other. Jesse looked ruffled, Rachel noticed, her hand had wrinkled the front of his crisp black shirt and his hair had been messed from where she had been tugging at it. Jesse noticed that Rachel's lips were swollen with how hard he kissed back, and her cheeks were pink with both the heat and passion.

"Sorry" Rachel squeaked, trying to fix herself as best she could and regain at least some composure.

"Don't be" Jesse smirked, "I enjoyed it. Who knew you could be so spontaneous?"

Rachel blushed, "I couldn't help it, I was watching you up there singing our song and then you came walking back down with such a confident look on your face and..." She trailed off, her cheeks flaming an even brighter red

Jesse's smirk grew even wider as he realised where she had been going with her statement, "I turned you on didn't I?"

Rachel rolled her eyes, "Yes! And no need to be so smug about it"

"I'm not smug" Jesse chuckled, "I'm just happy that you finally admitted how I can make you feel all hot and bothered"

"Smug bastard" Rachel whispered

"Sorry what was that?"

"Oh nothing. Lets go" Rachel smiled, grabbing her things from her chair and swayed from the chair, Jesse groaned to himself as he willingly followed her outside. She really was going to be the death of him.


	5. Callbacks

It had been a few weeks since the infamous kiss between Rachel and Jesse, neither of them were quite ready to talk about what happened so they continued to act like nothing had changed between them. The adjustment to college life had been difficult for Rachel, it felt like it was High School all over again and she had to try meet new people without freaking them out with how career drive she was. But what surprised her the most during her short time at the school was that everyone else just like her, they were all career orientated and weren't going to let anything get in their way. NYADA was cut throat and Rachel loved it, she finally felt challenged.

The worst part though was her dancer teacher, Cassandra July, the devil herself. Rachel thought that Sue had been back at High School but it seemed like Cassandra had it out for most of her students, most dance classes were a blood bath and it was her very first one where it all went downhill.

_The dance class was full of eager and excited students, it was one of their first practical classes and they couldn't wait to finally dip their toes into the NYADA pond, after all they only taught the best of the best. Rachel stood by Jesse, of course, as they waited for teacher to arrive, she couldn't help but marvel at the variety of people in the room, all of whom came from different walks of life and finally getting to live their dream at New York studying at one of the most prestigious drama schools in New York. _

_The joy however was short lived, the double doors bounced open and in walked a stunning blonde who didn't look a day over 30 with abs of steel, and she did not look happy. _

_"All right kids, show me what you got" _

_Rachel blinked, just like that? No introduction? No 20 minute warm up? She glanced up at Jesse with frightened eyes but he gave her an encouraging smile back, of course he would since he didn't have anything to worry about being the amazing dancer he was. _

_"5, 6, 7, 8!" _

_At the final count Rachel eagerly watched as the groups before her went, she eyed their technique and counted their steps in her head, making sure she picked it up with ease as she didn't want to fall flat on her face during her first dance class. As the first group went Cassandra watched them, her eyes narrowed and faulting everything she could. _

_"Welcome to NYADA! This is dance 101. My name is Cassandra July and if you're not suffering from severe body dysphoria then you don't want it enough" She pulled her can over her shoulders and eyed the small, brunette girl who was now leaping her way across the dance floor, followed closely by a handsome young gentleman with a luscious set of curls. _

_"Let's get this straight freshman. There may be two of you in this room that are good enough to make it in this business" Cassandra smirked, not noticing the intense fear that had just hit Rachel as she waited for her turn to dance again. "As for the rest of you, thank you for paying my rent on my loft in Soho" _

_Jesse could tell from Rachel's body language that she no longer felt as confident as she first had when they started class, he frowned and took a glance at their teacher, who was now staring him with a look of desire in her eyes. He internally groaned, what is it with teachers wanted their students? _

_"Hey" Cassandra spotted a girl who was nearing the beginning of the queue, she stopped her in her step and smiled a deadly sweet smile. "What's your name? Muffin Top?" She mocked. _

_"No, uh, it's Lydia" _

_Cassandra pursed her lips and pulled her to the side, "No. Your name is muffin top" She emphasised, staring the girl down in her eyes. "And from now on, it's rice cakes and ipecac. Otherwise cut off a butt cheek because you need to lose a few pounds"_

_With that Cassandra turned her back on the girl and begun to walk towards the back of the classroom, not without noticing the look of pure loathing that Rachel had given her. She held her hand up in the air to stop the music, "Hold it, hold it" _

_The group stopped moving and stared at her in confusion, but Rachel knew just what was about to happen and stood herself up straighter as Jesse moved behind her, almost wanting to protect her. Cassandra was on front of her in half a second, she stared down at the younger girl and saw that fire in her eyes, the same fire she once held as a young actress trying to achieve her dream. She had a feeling this girl was not one to be pushed around, she may be small in stature but by the defiant look in her eyes she could put up one hell of a fight and boy was Cassandra ready for a right. _

_"I'm sorry, did my conversation with muffin top offend you?" She quirked an eyebrow at her as she circled her, like a lion stalking it's prey_

_Rachel gulped but didn't back down, "No" She smiled _

_"What's your name?" _

_"Rache-"_

_But Cassandra cut her off with a smirk, one that could rival Sue Sylvester's. "Little Miss David Schwimmer" She mused, playing around with the thought on her head._

_Not wanting to anger her any further Rachel reluctantly agreed, "Little Miss David Schwimmer". She could feel the angry eyes of Jesse staring at the back of her head, but she had to do this, she didn't like it but she could not make an enemy out of a teacher, she had enough of that back at McKinley. _

_"I bet you were a big star back at Iowa" Cassandra teased, her voice laced with sarcasm _

_"I'm actually from Ohio" Rachel breathed, her eyes not leaving Cassandra's as she tried to go toe to toe with her_

_"Ohio!" Cassandra laughed, "That's even worse. You ever look at a map? Ohio's like a giant turd that Michigan can't pinch off. So did you come all the way to New York city to show me how to run my class?" She narrowed her eyes, eagerly anticipating how the younger girl would react. _

_"No!" Rachel looked appalled, she would never try and overrun a class, not one that she wanted to learn and excel in. "I came to learn" _

_"Okay" Cassie nodded her head, turning away from the girl as she walked away from her. "Lesson number one. Your pique turns are pathetic and your stuck up little attitude is really pissing me off. Music!" _

_Rachel to the side of the room, cowering in shame and embarrassment as she watched the rest of her class continue on with the rest of their class. How could she have left that get out of hand? Her first day of dance class and she had already managed to anger her dance teacher, what else could go wrong? She felt the tears sting at her eyes, but she refused to back down, she could feel eyes watching her and glanced up to see Jesse standing there, concern etched on his face but she shook her head and rejoined the line up, whispering "I'm fine" as she passed him. _

Rachel shivered at the memory, she wished she could erase that day from her memory, but she just had to try move on and make amends with Cassandra eventually. For now though she was ready to get into bed and re-watch Barbra videos on YouTube, she pulled the loft door open and immediately collapsed on the couch, her body agreeing as it felt the softness of the pillows against her.

Not long after Kurt trailed in along with Blaine, both looking very pleased with themselves. Kurt took one look at the diva on the couch and smiled knowingly, he dropped down beside her and poked her on the side. "We have something that will cheer you up"

"And what could that possibly be? Other than watching Barbra videos of course"

Kurt rolled his eyes, "We've found a cool place that all the NYADA students hang out at. It's called callbacks, you could say it's a karaoke bar" He wiggled his eyebrows at her, watching as the smile slowly returned to her face

"A karaoke bar"

Kurt nodded, "All NYADA students, no matter if they're freshman or alumni, can sign up to sing. What do you think?"

Rachel pursed her lips, did she really want to go out and spend a night in a loud, crowded bar while listening people butchering her favourite songs, or would she rather stay in with a tub of the finest vegan cookie dough ice cream and watch her idol on YouTube. "I don't know Kurt, I'm really tired. Cassandra's been working my ass off lately"

Kurt rolled his eyes, "Such a typical Rachel Berry response" He stood up from the couch and held his hand out to her, knowing he was already persuading her as she took his hand to stand herself. "Jesse's going to be there" He teased, smirking as he saw the pink tinge on her cheeks.

"Kurt" Rachel warned, knowing all too well of her friend's matchmaking ways

"I know, I know" He sighed, "You only kissed once and I shouldn't meddle or interfere in the love lives or personal relationships of my best friend. Did I get that all right?" Kurt frowned but Rachel grinned

"You remembered!"

"Of course I did, you only recited it about a million times" Kurt laughed, "But please come out with us Rachel? It's our first night out in New York, you have to come with us"

"Kurt's right Rachel" Blaine smiled, standing by his boyfriend's side, "We can't have our first night out in New York without Rachel Berry. Then were would we get our dramatics?"

Rachel laughed, they were a dangerous duo, they could persuade a brick wall to go out to a party with them if they could. "Fine! I'll go, just to stop you two from whining all night"

"Finally she see's sense" Kurt pressed a kiss to Blaine's cheek, "I'm picking your outfit" He finished quickly and disappeared into Rachel's room.

What seemed a like a lifetime, the trio were finally ready to enjoy their first night out together. Rachel stared at herself in the mirror, in awe of Kurt's fashion sense once again, he had given her an all black ensemble which consisted of a pair of high waist black shorts, along with a black short sleeved top, the combo was then paired with a white blazer and a pair of knee high boots. She actually felt quite...sexy. She applied one last lair of lip gloss before walking out into the living room just as Kurt was opening the loft door.

As the door opened Jesse shifted from foot to foot, as much as he and Kurt got along, he really hadn't expected the invitation to join him, Blaine and Rachel for their night out. Callbacks sounded interesting enough, and Jesse could never really resist a karaoke but since Rachel had kissed him those few weeks ago everything had changed and their dynamic felt...off. He couldn't put his finger on it, but as the door fully opened and he glanced up from the floor, his eyes fell on Rachel and he couldn't help but gaze at her. Kurt had clearly picked her outfit for her but she looked amazing, even though she always was beautiful to him, the woman on front of him now just looked so much more mature.

"Wow" Jesse breathed out, from where he was standing he couldn't see the blush on her cheeks, but he knew she appreciated the compliment when she gave him her mega-watt smile.

"You don't look so bad yourself" Rachel quipped, noticing that their outfits resembled each other, she made a mental note to ask Kurt about that later, the exception being that Jesse was clad in his signature black outfit.

"Okay you lovebirds, let's get going! I want us to get a good table" Kurt grinned as he pulled Blaine from the loft.

The quartet walked along the streets of New York, only a few minutes away from the bar but enjoying their leisurely pace. Kurt and Blaine were slightly ahead, arms linked together as they took in the sights and occasionally stopping for the quick selfie, while Rachel and Jesse were trailing behind them. A comfortable silence was between them as they walked the noisy streets together, both of them wanting to say something but neither wanting to ruin the mood. Finally, it was Jesse who broke the silence.

"Rachel, we need to talk about that kiss"

Jesse took a quick glance at Rachel to try gauge her reaction, he saw her briefly stiffen before relaxing again.

"We do" She agreed

"Listen, Rachel, you know I love you. God, I always have loved you" Jesse smiled, he wanted to reach out and pull her into his arms and never let go, but they needed to do this right.

"It sounds like there's a 'but' coming on" Rachel sighed, her bottom lip quivering slightly but she refused herself to cry on front of him,not again.

"But...All I'm saying is that we need to take this slow. Do things the right way this time" Jesse reached out and gently grabbed her hand, smiling at how they fit together perfectly.

Rachel looked up at him, she had been expecting him to reject her, to tell her that the kiss had been a mistake and he was sorry that it happened, she was prepared to try and let him go but what he was saying was exactly what she wanted to hear. She couldn't help but smile at him, "I completely agree. The last time we tried this there was too much drama going on between rival show choirs, to me finding my birth Mom and so on. Taking it slow sounds like a good idea to me" Rachel smiled, giving his hand a gentle squeeze as they finally arrived to Callbacks.

The quartet entered the building, not fully knowing what was about to happen that night.


	6. Light My Candle

**Authors Note - Rachel and Jesse do a duet in this chapter. Lyrics in bold will be will be Rachel. **

The party at callbacks was in full swing. there were students celebrating their first few weeks at NYADA while others were celebrating their last, so far many of the contenders on karaoke were okay, nothing too horrendous but also nothing spectacular. Rachel was busy people watching with Kurt, each trying to come up with some ridiculous plot line as to what everyone was up to. People were mingling and having fun, she was actually glad she had been persuaded to come out, although she wasn't sure yet if she was going to do karaoke or not.

Jesse had also remained at the table for the majority of the night, joining in on Rachel and Kurt's guess the plot line charade game while also musing over if he would sing or not. He was a sucker for karaoke but he also could never deny a duet with Rachel, their voices worked so well together, it would always be a missed opportunity if they didn't sing. So after what seemed like his 2nd or 3rd beer, being slightly older than the usual freshman students thanks to his flunking out of UCLA had it's advantages, when he gathered the courage.

"Why Ms Berry?" Jesse smiled

"Yes Mr St James" Rachel grinned, she had a feeling she knew exactly where this was going

"Would you care to sing a duet with me?"

Rachel stared blankly at him for a moment, wanting to put him on edge for a second or two, before finally grinning and nodding in agreement. "I can never say no to a duet can I?"

Jesse smirked and grabbed her hand, gently tugging her along to the front of the stage where the band were taking names, they perused the song selection book before finding their perfect song. "Think you can handle it Berry?"

Rachel rolled her eyes and smirked, "Of course I can. Who do you think I am? An amateur" She laughed as they got up on the stage, she turned briefly to grab her microphone and the felt the heat of the stage lights hitting her in the face, the crowd falling silent as the new contenders got themselves ready. She glanced over at Jesse who nodded encouragingly for her to introduce them.

"Hi there, my name's Rachel Berry and my very talented partner here is Jesse St James. We're freshmen at NYADA celebrating our first weeks. Cheers" She raised her virgin pina coloda in the air as the rest of the students shouted cheers just as the music to their song kicked in. She wasn't going to lie, when Jesse first showed her the song she wasn't too sure, it was out of her comfort zone. It was one Broadway show she didn't think she had the skills to play the leading character but tonight was her chance to prove herself wrong.

The opening guitar chords were obviously very familiar to their crowd as the place erupted in cheers when it kicked in. Kurt glanced over at Blaine, his mouth slightly open in surprise. "I can't believe it" He whispered.

Blaine looked at him confused, "What about?"

"Rachel was very adamant that she couldn't perform this part, she thought it was out of her league and now here she is singing a song from that show!"

Blaine chuckled, "It must have been Jesse's idea, you did say he always liked to push her boundaries"

"And this is definitely pushing them" Kurt agreed, his attention going back to the stage as Jesse was about to sing.

"**What'd you forget**?" Jesse pushed himself of the piano, eyeing Rachel with a smirk.

"_Got a light?_" She was so nervous, especially performing this song, but as everyone says. The show must go on.

**"I know you?**  
**You're..**  
**You're shivering"**

_"It's nothing_  
_They turned off my heat_  
_And I'm just a little_  
_Weak on my feet_  
_Would you light my candle?_  
_What are you staring at?"_

Jesse walked closer to her, the cat calls in the bar growing louder and he couldn't help but smirk. A little bit of Rent was always known to drive Theatre geeks crazy

**"Nothing**  
**Your hair in the moonlight**  
**You look familiar**  
**Can you make it?"**

Jesse tucked a loose piece of hair behind Rachel's hair, grinning as he did so.

_"Just haven't eaten much today_  
_At least the room stopped spinning._  
_Anyway. What?"_

Rachel pretended to faint, leaning closely against his chest as she sung to him

**"Nothing**  
**Your smile reminded me of -"**

_"I always remind people of - Who is she?"_

**"She died. Her name was April"**

_"It's out again_  
_Sorry about your friend_  
_Would you light my candle?"_

Jesse had to suck in a deep breath and remind himself this was a performance, they were singing as two characters but of course since it was himself and Rachel they were fully committing to the characters, picturing themselves on a Broadway stage.

**"Well -"**

_"Yeah. Ow!"_

**"Oh, the wax - it's -"**

_"Dripping! I like it - between my -"_

Rachel summoned all the courage she could, she pressed herself close to Jesse's chest and glanced up at him through her eyelashes, trying to be as seductive as she could. She used her free hand to run a finger down his chest, as it got lower to his belt Jesse came out of his trance and stopped her hand, gulping in a deep breath of air

**"Fingers. I figured...**

**Oh, well. Goodnight."**

They decided to cut the song short, they air around them was thick with lust and intoxicating aftershave, truth be told neither Rachel or Jesse knew if they could control themselves. As they both continued to stare at each other the crowd broke out into rapturous applause, no one could deny the chemistry the two performers had and after they had just witnessed both would make an excellent Mimi and Roger if they were to ever try out for the Broadway show.

Slowly Rachel and Jesse made their way back to the table, Jesse almost immediately excused himself to get another drink while Rachel clumsily took her seat beside Kurt again, not immediately seeing the incredulous look her best friend was giving her.

"Earth to Rachel" Blaine called, a smile on his face as he clicked his fingers on front of Rachel's eyes as he tried to get her regain her focus.

After what seemed like hours, Rachel finally came out of her trance to look between her best friend and boyfriend, her face immediately going red. "What?"

"What?!" Kurt half yelled, still in surprise at what just happened. "Rachel Barbra Berry, you spend half your high school life explaining to me, in a power point may I add, all the reasons why you're not suitable for the highly provocative role of Mimi from Rent. And then tonight, Jesse St James lures you up onto that stage and manages to persuade you to sing Light My Candle? What on earth has happened?"

Rachel shrugged, she didn't exactly know what had happened either. "Honestly Kurt, I don't know" She admitted. "One minute we were looking at the song selection, he pointed out the song and initially I disagreed because I do think I'm highly unsuitable to play that part, due to lack of experience in the...provocative department. But a few reassuring words from Jesse and next you thing I'm standing on that stage and doing what I do best. Performing"

Kurt watched her expression carefully, she went from a shy and innocent school girl to a full blown puppy in love in a matter of seconds. He whistled lowly to himself and smiled, "Damn St James and what he can do"

"What do you mean?"

Blaine rolled his eyes, "Rachel, if you had of been watching what we were watching then you would have saw two people about to jump each others bones, there was that much sexual tension between you too" He chuckled as she blushed again. "And may I add, you can make a very convincing Mimi, I think you need to reconsider adding her to your Broadway dream character list"

"You think so?"

"Oh we both know so" Kurt nodded in agreement, "What we just watched would have been enough to turn a gay guy straight again just for the night"

Rachel laughed, maybe she should go out of her comfort zone more often, the thrill she felt being on that stage performing a song she thought she would never do was exhilarating and she had Jesse to thank for that. Speaking of Jesse, he still hadn't returned from the bar so Rachel began scanning the crowd to try and find his wavy hair, finally she managed to find the curls she was looking for and stood from her seat, ready to go over and thank him for pushing her out of her comfort zone when she saw that he wasn't alone.

A blonde haired girl had firmly planted herself on front of Jesse, almost trapping him on front of the bar with no escape route. Rachel watched closely as they laughed together, the girl was obviously trying her best to flirt with Jesse, she must have been impressed with his performance and who wouldn't have been? Jesse was always an incredible performer. The unknown girl slipped something into Jesse's hand, who seemed all too willing to accept and what she saw next broke her heart.

The blonde girl stood on her tip toes and planted a kiss on Jesse's lips, Rachel's eyes widened and she waited with baited breath to see if Jesse would try refute her advances, but he didn't. She felt her heart crumbling even more as the girl wound her hands around Jesse's neck to deepen the kiss and Jesse made no move to push her off or pull away. Rachel slowly sat back down in her seat and turned away from the view, her heart not being able to handle any more of the view that she had gotten. How could she have been so stupid? He told her he wanted to take it slow, of course she should have realised that was some sort of code for he wanted to date other people while they saw what happened with each other. She felt sick to her stomach, without another word she grabbed her belongings and practically high tailed it out of the bar, much to the surprise of Kurt and Blaine.

Rachel pushed the door open and gasped in the cool fresh air as it hit her in the face, tears stung at her eyes and this time she wasn't afraid to let them fall. She waited for 15 minutes, part of her unable to move with the shock and hurt she was feeling, and the other part of her desperately wanting to see if Jesse had even noticed that she had gone and if he would follow her.

He didn't.

Rachel didn't know what hurt most, seeing the guy she liked kiss another girl or the fact that he hadn't even realised she had left at all.

One thing was for sure, what started out to be a great night turned into an even crappier one for Rachel Berry.


	7. If You Say So

Jesse St James was confused, which didn't happen a lot to him, but there was one thing or rather someone who would often cause him some kind of confusion and that would be Rachel Berry. He loved her, he truly did but her temper tantrums and drama often caused him a loss of words because he didn't know what had happened or who had caused her some upset. It had been a week after they went to call backs, a week after their intense duet and Jesse hadn't heard from Rachel, either she was ignoring him or she had been kidnapped because Rachel was not the type of person to go silent without a reason. He had texted her multiple times and gotten no reply, he tried to call her but all he had gotten was her voicemail and for once, Jesse was truly stumped.

Truthfully though there was one thing Jesse knew that would cause Rachel to be angry at him, but he didn't want to admit to himself that it had happened, that he slightly enjoyed it or that she had witnessed it. He knew that he would have to face her wrath at some point but technically they weren't together, yes he had told her he wanted to take things slow to make sure being together was what they both had wanted, but he hadn't said that they were exclusive or together. Jesse winced at that thought, he definitely sounded like his arrogant 18 year old self back in High School.

With a sigh Jesse pulled out his phone and dialled Kurt's number, if Rachel was upset he knew he was going to get the wrath from the fashionista himself. The number rung for a few moments before it was picked up.

"St James" Kurt greeted

"Kurt" Jesse greeted a brief silence between the two and he began to wonder why Kurt hadn't started to cuss him out just yet. "Where's Rachel? I haven't been able to get a hold of her in a week"

"She's been holed up in her room all week, she hasn't been speaking much to me or Blaine, and honestly we don't know what happened. I think something must have happened at call backs last week because one second she was all happy and acting like a love struck teenager again and then next thing you know she was doing one of her dramatic Diva storm outs and she didn't come back"

Jesse sighed as his heart twisted in guilt, she obviously did see what happened then. "Could you put her on the phone to me please?"

"I'll try" Kurt shrugged and wandered to Rachel's side of the room and for a moment the line was muffled but Jesse could hear Kurt calling Rachel's name, she had replied with a brief greeting and Jesse grimaced at how sad she sounded.

"Jesse's on the line, he says you've been ignoring him"

There was silence for a moment and Jesse wondered just how Rachel was reacting, he didn't have to wonder for too long before he could hear her raised voice on the line. "Of course I've been ignoring him! He was a jerk. I don't want to speak to him so you can tell him that on the phone, or better yet"

For a moment it sounded like static there was that much movement happening but after a moment or two he heard Rachel's voice directly on the phone. "Leave me alone St James, I don't want to talk to you"

"Rachel, please!" Jesse pleaded but it was too late, she had hung up, he sighed in defeat and threw his phone onto his bed, what was he going to do now?

Rachel stood outside NYADA, feeling how she did on her first day only this time she was afraid to go in because she would see Jesse, this was the first time since her classes had started that she had hated her timetable, of course they had to be in all the same classes bare one. But she was Rachel Berry and she was going to stand tall and act proud, their first class of the day was their non-compulsory class which was Song Writing 101, and after the mess that had been call backs as soon as Rachel had gotten home she spent the entire week writing a song, it was good that she had previous experience from writing for New Directions but the hurt and pain that she had been feeling allowed her creativity to flow and the lyrics came to her within a short time.

With a deep breath Rachel stepped into the building and made her way to the class, as soon as she stepped through the door her eyes automatically found the blue ones that still made her go weak at the knees; she kept a straight face as she stared directly at him. He was sitting in their usual spot, with a sad smile on his face, it took all of her strength to not go up and sit beside him but to her, and he didn't deserve to be sad. It was his fault they were in this predicament in the first place. With all of her resolve and strength Rachel stalked past him to the other side of the room, taking a seat beside a guy she recognised as Brody, she gave him a small smile as she took her place beside him and then kept her eyes trained on front of her even though she could feel the piercing gaze of Jesse staring over at her.

It wasn't long before their professor James walked in; he looked like a young enough man, Rachel thought he must have been in his late twenties or early thirties. He had long, thick dark brown hair that fell to just above his shoulders, with bright blue eyes that could rival Jesse's. She could definitely see why so many of the other girls in her class had a crush on him.

"Alright" James clapped his hands and grinned at his students, "Time to show me some of those assignments I had you work on over the course of last week. Don't worry if they're not full or complete songs, you'll have another opportunity to perfect them before the exam at the end of the year. Now, who would like to go first?"

Rachel's hand immediately shot up into the air, a brave smile on her face as her teacher's eyes met her own and he gave her an encouraging smile back. "Miss Berry, perfect. Maybe you'll be able to show the others a thing or two about going first" he chuckled and took a seat to the side of the room

"Thank you sir" Rachel smiled and grabbed the sheet music from her bag and made her way to the piano in the middle of the room.

"And what is this song about?"

Rachel glanced at Jesse who was now leaning slightly forward in his seat, curiosity and sadness etched on his face. "Heartbreak" She simply stated, "I've put all the pain and hurt that I've been feeling this past week into the song so it completely encapsulates what I've been going through"

James nodded and sat back in his seat, an eager smile on his face as he nodded for Rachel to being. Rachel took a seat at the piano, taking some time to get her sheet music arrange and to calm her nerves. Without another glance at Jesse she began to play, the slow melancholy melody ringing out into the quiet classroom.

_"It's been seven whole days, seven whole days_  
_Since you paralysed me_  
_Seven whole days, seven whole days_  
_Since you lost your fight_

_And I can't get the last words that you said_  
_Can't get those words out of my head_  
_Seven whole days, seven whole days and four words_  
_And I can't get away from the burning pain_  
_I lay awake_  
_And the fallen hero haunts my thoughts_  
_How could you leave me this way?"_

Jesse sucked in a deep breath as he listened to the opening lyrics of her song, he knew she was a good song writer, the video footage of her Get It Right performance was confirmation of that, but this song was already something else. It was so vulnerable and raw; it killed him knowing that he managed to hurt her so badly once again.

_"It's been seven whole days_  
_Without your embrace_  
_I wanna see your face_  
_I got some things to say_

_Was just a week ago_  
_You said, I love you girl_  
_I said, I love you more_  
_Then a breath, a pause, you said_  
_If you say so_  
_If you say so_  
_If you say so_  
_If you say so_"

Rachel focused her eyes solely on the piano as she played, not wanting to look anyone in the eye, she was afraid if she did then she'd burst into tears and wouldn't be able to finish. That's not an impression you want to follow you around at NYADA, so she pushed through it. She pushed through the pain, the tightness in her chest that made her feel like she couldn't breath and she put her all into this performance.

_"It's been seven whole days, seven whole days_  
_Since I heard the phone ring_  
_Seven whole days, seven whole days_  
_Since I heard your voice_  
_And I can't get the last words that you say_  
_Can't get those words out of my head_  
_It's been seven whole days, seven whole days of pure hurt_  
_And I can't get away from the burning pain_

_I lay awake_  
_And the fallen hero haunts my thoughts_  
_How could you leave me this way?_

_It's been seven whole days_  
_Without your embrace_  
_I wanna see your face_  
_I got some things to say_  
_Was just a week ago_  
_You said, I love you girl_  
_I said, I love you more_  
_Then a breath, a pause, you said_  
_If you say so_  
_If you say so_  
_If you say so_  
_If you say so"_

James pursed his lips as he watched the budding actress before him, he definitely hadn't been expecting something so raw and heartfelt on their first assignment, he just wondered what it was exactly that had caused her so much pain to write such an emotional song. He would certainly have to mention this to Dean Tibideaux because if the rumours were true then this young woman on front of him was going to be a force to be reckoned with during NYADA.

_"I can't believe it's true_  
_I keep looking for you_  
_I check my phone and wait to hear from you_  
_In the crowded room_  
_The joker is so cruel_

_And now I'll never know_  
_If all I've been told, is just a lie so bold_  
_I thought we would grow old_  
_Mirrors in the smoke_  
_Left me here to choke"_

Finally Rachel allowed herself to look at Jesse, this last section of the song she had wrote in pure anger and hurt. Her brown eyes stared directly into his blue ones, the music of the piano picked up slightly as she sung, her anger flowing out through the words she was playing.

_"It's been seven whole days_  
_Without your embrace_  
_I wanna see your face_  
_I got some things to say_  
_Was just a week ago_  
_You said, I love you girl_  
_I said, I love you more_  
_Then a breath, a pause, you said_  
_If you say so_  
_If you say so_  
_If you say so_  
_If you say so"_

As the final chords of the piano rung out into the eerily quiet classroom Rachel tried to collect herself, the tears stinging in her eyes but she refused to let them fall, she refused to show him the hurt that he had once again caused her.

After what felt like an eternity her professor rose from his seat and started to applaud slowly, then it begun to build as the more of her classmates joined until everyone but Jesse were on their feet and giving her the recognition she had always wanted.

"Wow" James breathed, a sad smile on his face as he approached her. "That was...well, something else Rachel. I had no idea that you were going to pull something like that out of your bag"

Rachel tried to smile but it felt more like a grimace as she met her professor's eyes. "Thank you sir, I've always been one to wear my heart on my sleeve, so whenever I'm feeling such a strong emotion I try to emphasise it in my song."

James nodded in understanding, he could see the sadness in her eyes but didn't want to press it too much especially with the rest of the class present but he could sense that her journey was only beginning and that this year was going to make quite the interesting one. "Well thank you for sharing that with us Rachel, you can return back to your seat now if you like"

Rachel nodded, quickly grabbing her sheet music and making her way back to her seat by Brody, the whole way back to her seat she could feel Jesse's eyes on her but she didn't look, not once, even though the desire to look at him was killing her inside. He didn't deserve her attention, she should have known that he was just going to hurt her again, during their extremely brief 'relationship' they both tried to hurt each other but she just couldn't do that anymore. So today was the day that Rachel Berry finally drew the line, she was going to get the hell over Jesse St James.


End file.
